Distant Dark Places
by systematic-alchemy
Summary: Nearly 200 years ago a Hellmouth opened. The world was swallowed by demons and darkness. A few countries foresaw this happening and collected the DNA of the warriors that fought against this type of darkness the best. It took more than a century to get cloning perfected, but they're hoping they managed in enough time to save the remaining humans on the Ark in space. Discontinued.


The council sat around their table of important decision making.

"We need to keep the Exodus ships here in case of emergency. Besides, we don't want to risk any more lives than we have to. The probes were helpful, showing us the most practical place to send the volunteers, but there was still heavy demonic activity there. We could only send ten." Thelonious said.

"Do the clones know what they are and why they're so willing to go?" Abby asked.

"No but we'll tell them during their trip. That should be all they need." Kane seemed to not care about any of the volunteers.

"I disagree." Abby couldn't stand how Kane treated people.

"We all know how you feel." Thelonious stopped her before she could get a good head of steam going.

"Who all of our actual people are going?" Kane asked.

Jaha reviewed his notes. "We kept the number to a minimum. Three of them prisoners. Monty Green volunteered, and we don't know why he would. He was due for release in two months. John Murphy doesn't want to risk getting floated since he murdered a guard. I'm sorry but Clarke also volunteered."

"I thought she might. Don't worry. I'm okay. Who else?" Abby's tough exterior wasn't convincing.

"Raven Reyes. She's a mechanic and something of a thrill seeker. She has no family to speak of, so we're not surprised she wanted to go. She likes doing things no one else has before." Thelonious looked around the small group. "Is there anything else we need to go over before launching the pod?"

Abby raised her hand. "I want to review the status of the clones one more time."

"That's probably wise." Kane surprised everyone with his agreement.

Thelonious checked his tablet. "Connor has had to be kept prisoner most of his life because of his super strength, but he's been guided to do nothing but protect people. This programing seems to effective. Buffy Summers ended up in the Sky Box for stealing rations for sick prisoners, she was supposed to have superpowers but we've never seen any. Winifred Burkle has an eidetic memory and has studied all our resources. Wesley-Wyndam Pryce while clumsy and awkward, has command over magic that no one else has shown aptitude. Cordelia Chase is pragmatic and a skilled fighter though it seems she has no filter when she talks to people. And Charles Gunn who is also pragmatic and has exceptional fighting skills but has more social skills than Ms. Chase."

Kane clicked his nails on the table. "So we've got a meek genius, an adrenaline junkie, a pothead, a klutz, a traitor, a bleeding heart, a pit bull, a murderer, and two pragmatists with fighting skills, one suave and one tactless. Great, we're all saved."

"How long until launch?" Abby asked wanting to visit her daughter before she got sent to die.

"There was a mishap with the timing and they launched twenty minutes ago, and should be listening to the message I recorded for them as we speak."

* * *

The volunteers watched their Chancellor on the screen but it fizzed and popped rather than any speech coming through the speakers. Fred caught the word 'clones' but didn't understand that, since cloning technology had been lost when the Hellmouth opened.

When half the lights burst and the screen cracked with a sudden impact, they knew they'd hit the atmosphere.

"Or we could die sooner rather than later," Cordelia said. "Why did I agree to this again?"

"Same reason all of us did, to save the last of the human race." Wesley looked to his other side and saw Connor. If it weren't for the rise and fall of his chest Wesley would have thought the boy dead. "Some of us care less than others."

"Something's off. We're not slowing down enough," Fred said. "At this velocity we'll be lucky to survive the crash."

"Crash? As in 'oh god oh god we're all going to die?'" Gunn asked.

"Fraid so." Fred missed her glasses. Not that not needing them wasn't great, but they gave her a distraction when she needed one, and she needed one now.

"They must have over-packed the provisions," Raven said. "This ship wasn't rigged to take on more than the ten of us and a hundred pounds of extra. If I'm feeling this right, then we've got a couple hundred extra pounds on board."

"I saw the supply box get weighed as they were loading it," Monty said. "One hundred pounds exactly."

"Stowaways?" Clarke asked. "Who would want to risk coming to Earth?"

"Someone needs to find out." Murphy unbuckled his seatbelt. "They'd have to be on the lower level."

Raven undid her belt. "I need to go with him. Changes to our descent need to be made now. Hope I get the math right."

"I'm a wiz at math!" Fred said as she too got out of her seat.

Before they even got the hatch open, the ship decelerated to a safe speed. They're landing was so soft that those not in their seats didn't even feel it.

"We need to see what's going on," Clarke said as she got out of her seat. "Wesley you're with me, Raven, Fred, check all the electronics, see if we can talk to the Ark. Buffy, Monty, Cordelia, Gunn, Murphy, and Connor, scout our surroundings, stay together and work as a team."

Wesley followed Clarke down the ladder. "And what are we doing?"

"Checking for stowaways, we can use all the help we can get down here."

The door to the drop ship peeled away like sardine can, revealing a band of what looked like people. The one in front gave the order, "Get the walking happy meals someplace safe. Every demon from here to the other coast had to see this ship land. Go, go, go!"

Buffy hit the man over the head with a rung she pulled from the ladder. "Stop! We're not going anywhere!"

Clarke checked on the man with the head wound. "Are you OK?"

"Fine, love." He looked up at Buffy's scowling face. "Oh goddess, it can't be. Willow am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

A woman with black eyes, hair, and veins walked onto the ship. She licked an unflinching Buffy. "She's close but not quite. Too close to be a descendent, but it's not her. A clone is my guess."

"Clones!" Fred squealed. "That's what Thelonious was saying in his broadcast. That some of us are clones."

"Fred?" He looked the new arrivals over. "Gunn? Wesley? Connor? Cordelia? I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"Spike calm down. They aren't your friends, they're just clones. It will be interesting to see how the Blue Meanie takes to seeing Fred though." Willow floated to the middle of the ship. "There are two more hiding in the floor." With a wave of her hand, Willow opened the floor in a single metal grinding rip. "Lookie what we have here. Two mice living below the floor, but only one's used to it."

"Bellamy?" Octavia said with a voice laced with fear.

"I got you, O." Bellamy uncurled until he was standing, bringing Octavia with him. "We'll be fine."

"You will be," Willow agreed. "But only because we like Spike. Isn't that right, Anyanka?"

"He's Illyria's pet, your best friend, and my fuck buddy. Plus Fray has taken a shine to him. I think it's safe to say she wouldn't want to hurt them either." Anyaka leaned in the doorway wearing black like the others.

Clarke got a better look at their outfits. They were made of skin, but nothing she'd ever seen a picture of before. "I don't think we have much choice in the matter do we?"

Wesley sighed. "I don't think we do. Buffy, Connor, keep your eyes sharp, but we will follow these creatures to what they say is safety."


End file.
